Support for vehicle-tops.



PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

No. 779,281. r

F. P. HEISBLMANN. SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1904.

2 SHEETS-BEBE: 1.

IN VEN 70/? z 'anfi ffl eiaeimamz A HORNE VS WITNESSES:

No. 779,281. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. F F. HEISBLMANN.

SUPPORT PGR VEHICLE TGPS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OEEicE.

SUPPORT FOR VEHICLE-TOPS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,281, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed June 6, 1904. Serial No. 211,284.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK F. HEISELMANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hydepark, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Support for Vehicle-Tops, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

tains upon the posts near their upper ends in a manner which permits the lapping and securing of the side curtains upon side edges of the rear curtain, thus reinforcing the corners of these curtains where they engage, so as to strengthen them and more effectually exclude the elements during stormy weather.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the appended claims. Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side view of the body of avehicle provided with two seats, a canopy, two of a set of the improved posts for supporting the canopy above the seats, and curtains pendent from the posts. Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation of the vehicle-body, of the canopy, rear supporting-posts for the canopy, and pendent curtains thereon. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of a portion of a canopy and of the upper portion of the improved post secured thereto, representing the preferred construction of the posts. Fig. 4 is a detached plan View of the post shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a side view of the rear portion of a canopy and of a rear post adapted to support the canopy at one corner thereof, and Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified form of the post.

Ordinarily posts for the support of quadrangular canopies are formed of wrought-iron forged into form. In practice it is found that slight variations in the length of such posts occur, which interferes with the proper support of a canopy, and as the shorter posts must be returned to the smithshop for lengthening this causes delay in the construction of the body and top therefor. The improved construction for the canopy-supporting posts permits the posts to be all made exactly equal in length, dispenses with expensive hand-forging in their manufacture, permits the posts to be erected vertically, and enables their true contact with and attachment to the canopy when this is disposed horizontally on the upper ends of the posts, as will appear from the following description.

The body of the post in preferred form, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5. consists of a cylindrical metal standard 10, which is adapted for a secured connection at the lower end thereof with aseat-iron on a vehicle, as usual, such a connection being indicated at (tin Figs.

1 and 2. The portion 10 of the canopy-post is proportioned to suit the height the canopy A, is to be supported above the seats B in a vehicle-body B, and upon the upper end of the standard or body portion 10 a head portion is mounted, that essentially consists of two arched members 11 11, which are joined together at their lower ends by a hub 11, that is axially perforated a suitable depth, forming a socket 6, wherein the normally up per end of the standard 10 is neatly fitted and may be secured by a set-screw or rivet, as shown ate 0 in Figs. 3 and 5. The head portions are preferably of malleable iron or softsteel castings, which permits the arched members to be bent manually, so as to change their degree of curvature. The posts in complete form are erected in pairs oppositely either on supports at the sides of a vehiclebody or upon suitable supports on the ends of the seat-boxes, four of said improved canopysupports usually being employed. As shown applied in Figs. 1 and 2, two of the canopyposts are arranged oppositely on the ends of the front seat and two on the rear seat. The posts which afford support to the forward portion of the canopy A have their arched members 11 11 arranged opposite each other in the same upright plane with the standard 10, and these similar members that constitute the head portion of a post have a series of transverse V-shaped ribs d formed on their their convex upper surfaces that in service afford seats for the side rails of the canopyframe. In each head member 11 a slot cl is formed longitudinally, as shown in Fig. i, the slot in each member receiving a bolt 12, which passes down through an opposite vertical perforation in the side rail of the canopy, that is seated upon the head member 11, and is furnished with a nut 12 on its lower end. It will be evident that from the peculiar curvature of the arched members 11 the contacts of the canopy therewith will be near the ends of said members, where their upper surfaces are ribbed or serrated, so that a clamping adjustment of the nuts 12 on the lower ends of the bolts will embed these ribs (Z in the wooden side members of the canopy A and firmly hold the latter connected with the posts. The remaining pair of posts, which support the rear portion of the canopy A, have the members 11"11" of each head portion for a post disposed at a right angle to each other, one arched member engaging the side rail and the other member the transverse rail of the canopy frame, which rails are respectively seated upon said head members of the posts at each side of the vehicle body and canopy A, as is represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. The head members 11 are similar to the head members 11, curving upward and outward, having transverse ribs (Z on their upper surfaces and a longitudinal slot in each one, each pair of these head members for respective rear posts being formed integral with a hub 11*, that is provided with an axial socket 6, wherein the lower portion or standard 10 of a post is inserted and secured, as shown in Fig. 5. The head members 11 are secured upon the side and end rails of the canopy A by bolts 12, that pass through the slots in the head members and are provided with nuts 12, which by proper adjustment clamp the heads of the rear posts upon the canopy A.

It is of course necesary in the building and erection of a vehicle-canopy that the lower surface of the border-frame therefor should be level and that the supporting-posts should have their upper portions or head members in assured contact with the bottom surface of the canopy. In posts of ordinary construction it is necessary to have such as are too short lengthened by smithwork. In the erection of a canopy provided with the improved posts the latter can be rendered equal in length by adjustment of the head members at their hubs upon the upper ends of the standards 10 by means of the set-screws c, or a rivet may be inserted in opposite perforations in the hub and inserted end of the standard, if this is preferred.

It will be seen that the convexed upper surfaces of the head members 11 11 at their points of contact with the canopy will have an assured hearing if they are shifted endwise slightly, this being permitted by the engagement of the bolts 12 within the slots (Z in the head members, so that the posts may be readily arranged in vertical positions after they are placed on the vehicle-body and the canopy is imposed on the head members of' the posts, thus greatly expediting the work of erection of the posts and canopy in a proper manner. It is preferred to cast the head members of the canopy-posts from a bendable metal, which cheapens their production and enables their manufacture in quantity exactly like the pattern.

In Fig. 6 a slight change in the form of the improved canopy-post is shown, this consisting in the formation of the body 14: of the post integral with the head members 14:, the latter being arched similarly to the arched head portions 11 11 and in a like manner slotted for the reception of clamping-bolts 12, provided with binding-nuts 12, the convexed upper sides of the members 14 being serrated transversely to produce sharp ribs d thereon which bed in the wooden frame of the canopy and prevent movement of the same on the posts, as before explained. In all constructions of the head members of the posts their arched members may be bent somewhat, and thus increase or lower the height of their surfaces that contact with the canopy, so that the latter may be leveled by this means when the posts are vertically positioned.

On the outer sides of the head member of the canopy-posts that have been described stud-like buttons 0 are projected, which may be either formed integrally with the post members or be secured therein, as is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4. The buttons 0 are all arranged in the same horizontal plane at a proper distance from the canopy A when the latter is in position on the posts, and, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2, the side curtains O and end curtain O are held in pendent positions by the engagement of suitable buttonholes therein with the stud-like buttons 6. It will also be seen in Fig. 2 that flaps may be formed on the upper portions of the side curtains C and lap upon the upper portion of the rear curtain O at each side edge thereof, which strengthens the latter and keeps out rain or the like by preventing the edges of the curtain from gaping apart during a high wind and rain storm.

In the construction of the improved posts for light canopies it is feasible to employ but one of the arched members 11 on the upper ends of each of the standards 10 for side posts of the canopy. Hence I do not confine the construction to two opposite head members for' each side post, but claim the right to use one or two of such arched head members, as may be found expedient.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A canopy post comprising a straight standard, an arched member on said standard it its upper end, and ribs on the arched mem- 2. A canopy-post comprising a straight standard, an arched heail securable on the top of the standard, and a series of transverse ribs formed on the arched member, adapted for engagement of securing means that clamp the canOpy 0n the arched member.

3. The combination with a vehicle-body,and a canopy therefor, of a post erected on the body, an arched head on said post, whereon the canopy seats, said arched head having a series of spaced ribs on its curved surface, and clamping means that hold the canopy on the arched head.

4. A canopy-post comprising a straight standard, two divergent arched head members connected at their lower ends with a socketed hub which receives an end of the standard, ancll) means for securing the standard in the hu 5. A canopy-post comprising a straight standard, an arched member having a socketed hub on the normally lower end which receives an end of the standard, said arched member having a longitudinal slot therein.

6. A canopy-post comprising a straight standard, an arched member having a socketed hub on the lower end which receives the standard, means for adjustably securing the standard in the socket, the arched member having a longitudinal slot in its upper portion, and transverse sharp ribs in the convex upper surface.

7. A canopy-post comprising a straight standard, a head member formed with a socketed hub, and two oppositely-trending arched head members integral at their lower ends with the hub, the upper sides of the arched members having transverse sharp ribs thereon, and each arched member being longitudinally slotted through the ribs.

8. A canopy-post comprising a straight standard, and a head portion formed with a socketed hub wherein the upper end of the standard is adjustably secured, and two arched members engaged at their lower ends with the hub, and disposed at a right angle to each other, each arched member being longitudinally slotted and having a series of transverse sharp ribs thereon.

9. A canopy-post having arched head members thereon, and curtain-buttons projected outwardly from the sides of said arched head members.

10. The combination with a vehicle-body and a canopy therefor, of a plurality of posts, each consisting of a straight standard securable on the body in erect position, and a head portion formedwith a socketed hub that receives the upper end of the standard, two diverging arched members on said hub, having longitudinally slotted upper portions and transverse ribs thereon, the canopy seating on said slotted and ribbed portions of the post, bolts passing down through the canopy and the slots in the head members of the posts, and nuts on the lower ends of the bolts for clamping the canopy on the posts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK F. HEISELMANN.

l/Vitnesses:

FRANK H. KIRNEY, MYERs Y. COOPER. 

